Chapter 07

Denton spent the rest of the day cleaning up the apartment and entertaining the friends that visited unannounced. Only one of them balked when he realized there were already three other guys there. By the time they fell asleep there were six of them in the king size bed. He kicked them out before noon, and put a sign on the door saying he wasn't available.

He got back to the cleaning that had been interrupted the previous day. By two he was almost done, but couldn't stand being indoors anymore. He dressed for his family's dinner, then got in the car. He'd drive around for a while, get the sex off his mind. It was never a good thing to show up at this folks place with that on the brain.

He drove for an hour, then decided to stop for a coffee, and maybe a muffin. He hadn't eaten lunch, and breakfast had been liquid, and not too much of it. The sign for the next plaza showed there was a Starbucks, so he went in.

The coffee house wasn't crowded, but there was a small line, with only one barista behind the counter.

"A venti double Mocha espresso caramelo," the person at the head of the queue said, and Denton looked up. large shoulders, and a mane of golden hair.

"Stefan?"

The collie looked around, then behind, locking eyes with Denton, his eyes went wide. "Denton? what are you doing here?" Stefan got out of the lineup to wait for his coffee further down the counter.

"I was just driving around and got a craving for coffee. do you live around here?"

Stefan shook his head. "I'm on my way to hang out with a few friends. I stopped here first to get caffeinated. Man, this is one hell of a coincidence." He got his coffee and joined Denton. "You know, you should come. You'll like these guys."

"I don't know, I need to be at my folks place in a few hour, for dinner."

The woman before him, a pure white rabbit, got a straight up coffee, so it was quickly Denton's turn. He had a large coffee with a French vanilla flavoring.

Denton lowered his voice. "Look, I can't go and have sex. this drive's actually to get my mind off it. My mon's always able to pick up on the fact that I can't wait to leave, which is what's going to happen if I don't get it off my mind."

"How's that working out for you?"

Denton sighed and pulled out his phone and showed the texts to Stefan. Half a dozen in the last half hour, all guys asking to hook up.

The collie chuckled. "Look, it's not like that. you're not going to end up having sex, well, not unless you want to. It's just a few friends getting together to talk and catch up. It's about ten minutes from here. Just come, I'll introduce you and when you have to leave, you leave."

He picked up his coffee. "alright, I will. but I swear, if this is just a trick to get me in an orgy, I'm going to slam the cuffs on you so fast you won't realize what's happening."

"You carry cuffs? kinky?"

Dento snorted. "It's for work, and I don't actually have them with me. I'm off duty."

"You're a cop?"

Denton nodded.

"I thought you guys never went off duty."

"Those guys end up taking their early retirement at a cemetery. If I get called I'll go, but I don't carry my tools when I'm not working. Clear separation of work and play."

"That's pretty healthy."

"Thank, but make no mistake. This is a trick, and you're ending up in the slammer, cuffs or no cuffs."

Stefan smiled at him. "You know, you are making this so very hard to resist."

"Yeah, yeah. You just lead on." Denton got in his car and followed the collie to a wealthier neighborhood. Not a gated community, but certainly more expensive houses with some land.

The house they parked at was large. It could easily house four families. there were already half a dozen cars in the driveway, parked on one side so other cars could drive by them. Stefan parked behind the last one, and Denton behind him.

"You're friend, he's rich, isn't he?"

Stefan shrugged. "I know his family's comfortable, but we don't hang out because of the size of our wallets."

"Size of the cocks then?"

The collie laughed. "Not even. We just have a lot of similar interest." He opened the door, and dance music escaped the house. It wasn't loud, enough to be felt, but not prevent conversations.

Stefan lead him to the first opening in the entryway, a large living room, where at least thirty guys were dancing. Denton looked at him. "A *few* friends?"

"I don't know most of these guys. they're just here for the party, and the sex. I'm hanging out with them." he pointed to a group of five guys at the back, leaning against the wall, and laughing at something.

The man in the middle of them was a cougar. It was the cougar who'd taken the files. In this environment, Denton saw he was young, no more than twenty two.

Denton ran at him. Grabbed by the collar and shoved him against the wall. He didn't care if he was assaulting a federal agent, he was going to get answers.

"Who are you? Why did you take the case from us?"

The cougar only now seemed to notice him, but someone grabbed Denton by the arms and pulled away.

"Let go of me," he growled. "I'm a cop. This is a law enforcement business."

The guy holding his left arm guffawed. He was a canine, Denton recognized him as the one who had been with the cougar at the precinct. Even this close, he couldn't tell what species he was.

"Martin, this guy thinks you're FBI?"

He wasn't? Oh hell, this changed things. Denton moved a leg behind the canine's and pushed him back, sending him to the floor. He ripped his arm out of the other guy's grip, an armadillo, and the next moment he had the cougar, Martin, face first in the wall.

"You're under arrest for impersonation of a federal agent." he held both wrist behind the cougar's back and reach for his back pocket, before remembering he didn't have his handcuffs.

The armadillo, grabbed both of Denton's arms and pulled him away. He tried to resist, but Colby was surprisingly strong.

Martin turned and straightened his sport's jacket. He looked around, and many of the dancers had stopped to stare at them. "Not here. Come one guys."

Denton had no choice but to follow. They went to a large study. Once the door was closed, he could barely hear the music.

Martin rested against the desk and sighed. "Stefan, what were you thinking, bringing him here?"

"What?" the collie replied. "You asked me to keep an eye on him. I thought you might want to meet him. You never mentioned he knew you."

"I guess I didn't." He rubbed his forehead. "That's on me. Well, this was bound to happen."

"Who the fuck are you guys?" Denton asked, trying, and failing to wriggle out of Colby's grip.

"My name is Martin. This is Colby, you know Stefan. that is Bruce," he pointed to the canine, "and behind you is Frank and Fred." Those would be the two lions.

"Yeah, well you better let go of me and give me back the files, before I add obstruction of an investigation to your crime."

"Detective Brislow," Martin said, calmly. "I'd like to have a conversation with you. I'd like to be able to tell Colby to release you, but I want your assurance you won't try anything. There's six of us, and only one of you."

Who the hell where these guys. They had a disregard for the police and a sense of organization Denton had only seen in the mob. Where these guy young mobsters? gay mobsters? was there such a thing?"

He glared at Stefan, who couldn't look at him.

"Don't blame Stefan, he didn't know this was going to happen. To be honest, I hadn't realized you'd recognize me from that picture. Now detective, do I have your assurance."

"Fine, you have it." Denton snapped.

Martin nodded and the armadillo let go.

Denton turned, looking at all of them in turn. They were all at ease. They were confident they were in charge of the situation. He wouldn't do anything right now, but the moment they tried to hurt him all bets were off.

"Why do you want those files, detective?"

"They're police property. Since you're not FBI, they're part of an investigation I'm conducting."

"Why are you so adamant about digging into the Lewiston family?"

"I'm not investigating them. I'm trying to find who murdered them."

Martin studied him, then sighed. "I wish dad was here. He'd be able to figure this out way faster than I can."

"Look. you guys obviously know the Lewiston. If you're not involved in their murder, tell me why you stole the files."

"I can't do that. For your own protection. You have no idea what you've stumbled on."

"Stumbled on? It's a fucking triple murder! you think I give a damn about whatever the fuck they've done that that cum stained room in the basement? they're dead. I want their murderer."

Martin sighed again. "Well, I tried the normal way." He stepped toward Denton, who took a step back. He would have backed up more, but Colby put a hand to his back and stopped him. Martin pressed against him, they were the same height. "Denton," he whispered, "I really need you to drop this." He moved closer, his lips to his ear. "It's important to me."

Denton's shivered as he felt the breath against his ear. His body responded almost immediately, and it took an extreme effort of will to resist pushing the man back against the desk and fucking his brains out.

Denton felt the hand against his chest, and he stopped breathing for a moment. "I'll make it worth your while for you to do that for me. I know what you like. I can give that to you." the hand moved down, from the chest, to his stomach. It kept going lower.

With a scream of anguish Denton shoved the cougar back. "Get your hands off me," he growled, panting heavily.

Martin stared at him in disbelief. "It's impossible."

Everyone else was at attention.

"What just happened?" Stefan asked.

"He resisted Martin." one of the lions said.

"That's not possible," the canine said. "Even we can't resist him if he puts his mind to it."

"Will the lot of you shut the fuck up!" Denton was still panting. He felt like He'd had to run the whole day without ever stopping. "What the fuck did you do to me?" He needed to fuck someone, badly.

Martin composed himself as best as he could. He looked to be as rattled by what had happened as Denton felt. "Frank, as there ever been a Brislow Family line?"

"He's one of us?" Stefan asked. "You can't be serious."

"He's got to be. Only one of the family can even try to resist me. You know how this works."

"No, Martin," Frank replied. "No family's ever bore that name."

"Which family are you related to?" Martin asked.

"Look, I don't know what your game is, but I'm not here to answer your fucking questions."

"Oh, you're going to answer him alright." The other lion moved closer a fist wrapped in his other and.

"Stop," Martin ordered. "Whatever's going on here isn't going to be resolved with violence." He closed his eyes, "okay. let's try this another way. Frank, cheetah families, how many were there?"

"There's even only been one, but they're."

Martin stopped him with a gesture.

"What's your last name, detective?" Martin bore his gaze in him, and Denton found he couldn't move.

"It's Brislow. you know that already."

"No, you're real last name."

Denton's eyes went wide. how could he know about that.

"This is important detective. What is your last name."

Denton swallowed. He was confused as fuck now. but he'd only find out what was going on by playing this game, wouldn't he? "I was born Denton Stenton."

The others gasped.

"That's impossible," Colby said.

"He's got to be lying," said Fred.

everyone was expressing their disbelief.

"Shut up!" Marin yelled. He was holding his cell in his shaking hands, dialing a number.

"Come on, pick up. Dad! yes, I know. I'm sorry, I know it's late there, but this is important." whatever the other person said made Martin wince. "I'm sorry I'm interrupting that, dad. But you need to know this. The Stenton family line is still alive."